When looking for muscle growth and definition, the first step is you need to exercise. The other factor that’s equally as important, is that any type exercising won’t show results if the diet is unhealthy. To even realize muscle development, let alone define them, begins with losing body fat, otherwise they’ll be hidden forever. What’s known is that to build muscle, all that’s needed is to consume plenty of protein and carbohydrates, but doing so isn’t that easy. What’s also needed are branched chain amino acids such as leucine, which serves as a core building block for building tissue and muscle mass.
16. Olive Oil
What olive oil contains is monounsaturated fat, which has proven to raise serotonin, which is a hormone that’s associated with satiety in the blood. What results is you’ll feel fuller when cooking with olive oil, while it being lower in calories.
What’s recommended is not using high temperature when cooking with it, as it’ll go rancid and oxidize. Know that even if the label states “extra virgin” olive oil, it’s often diluted with other less expensive oils, so be aware.
15. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are an excellent source of vitamin D, which is vital for muscle development. A symptom of weak tissue, can be a deficiency in vitamin D. Most mushrooms also have additional medicinal qualities such as improving immune function.
What’s important is that the mushrooms be organically grown, this because they’ll easily absorb the chemicals or toxins that they’re grown in. So healthy growing conditions becomes critical.
14. Grass-Fed Beef
Grass-fed beef is loaded with multi-tasking amino acids such as L-glutamine, which helps build muscle mass, while preventing it from breaking down. Grass-fed beef is also an excellent source of conjugated linoleic acid, which offers anti-inflammatory properties.
What most don’t realize is that the average person consumes 3 to 5 times more protein then they actually need. For most, the ideal amount of intake should be around one-half gram, for every pound of lean body mass, which is around 40 to 70 grams per day.
13. Raw Nuts
Raw nuts are an excellent source of magnesium, which is important for muscle growth and strength. Nuts such as pecans and macadamias, are excellent choices since they’re low in carbs and high in healthy fats.
Macadamia nuts are especially high in fat and low in protein and carbs. What raw nuts also contains are anti-inflammatory magnesium, immune boosting manganese, and heart healthy oleic acid.
